Come As You Are
by Shade Penn
Summary: Sequel to Come And Get It and Working It Out. After a year of growing adjusted to his new form, Jack decides it's time to give Cybertron another try. He should have known that nothing was ever as easy as that.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So here it is! Third installment. I'll admit it took a bit longer for me to get around to, simply because with the fact** _ **Robots In Disguise**_ **exists and I'm a canon stickler. I know it would be easier to try and ignore it, but even the stuff with the Dinobots had been taken sparingly from a comic set in the** _ **Transformers Prime**_ **universe. So despite my...complicated feelings about** _ **Robots In Disguise**_ **, there was still some interesting bits about it that make me hesitant to disregard it. I don't know how much of it I'll incorporate, so just a warning.**

* * *

Jack wasn't quite sure how he got roped into this, but maybe it had been Cinder's giant blue optics pleading with him combined with Miko's various heckles that wore him down. Still, Jack couldn't resent doing it as much as he tried to appear like he was. Even when the game's life meter went to zero and his character died for the third time. "I swear, my digits are too small to work the controller." He grumbled.

Miko cackled as she high-fived Cinder's open palm, the other servo occupied by a controller, and the 'land shark' as Miko called her, was grinning. "You sure it's that? Not the fact your big sis keeps whooping your aft on _Ninja Gladiators?"_

"No one who didn't know what this game was until last week should be this good at it." Jack muttered, tail wrapping around his waist.

Miko snickered. "Why don't you go howl at the moon, I'm sure you'll be good at that at least."

Jack rolled his optics. "For the last time, I don't feel the urge to do that." he grumbled.

"You're based on a _direwolf_ , Jack, and only you could manage to make that boring." Miko huffed, and turned back to the game as she reloaded it.

"I think I'm done now. Go bug Ratchet to play this." Jack said as he set the controller down. He knew he had just sent Ratchet a headache for the next hour before Miko wore him down, but he was in no mood for her quips about his form.

Dr. Keen had thought it would help if he were to try and learn more about the animal he was supposedly based on, just to get more comfortable about his situation. For obvious reasons, Jack was reluctant to ask for the notes about Predacons stored on the Nemesis' hard-drive knowing who wrote it. Jack thought this would just be an exercise to take his mind off things.

As it turned out, finding that his body was that of a direwolf- granted, of a _much bigger_ size than any could be- made him more uneasy and questioning. Did it have something to do with the formation of Unicron being in the Earth, or did Jack's endomatter simply come from a Predacon who switched forms once on earth?

The latter was the less likely one, given the features he had were already engrained in his CNA than his T-cog, and it left questions about what else was there that bore similarities to a wolf. So far, he was the only 'normal' looking Predacon on base, but seeing his wolf form just seemed to make people more nervous than Cinder, Grimwing or Blackbeak's beast modes. Was it because their forms were _more_ fantastical than his, and thus more acceptable to be odd than a giant wolf creature?

Jack wasn't really sure, and while he knew Dr. Keen was trying to help him, this one exercise had been a bit of a disaster for his emotional state. A year of progress, and he felt like knowing just that detail sent him a step back. _Hopefully I can regain it soon_ , he thought. Shaking his head, Jack could at least be happy he got his EMP howl more under control. Though he did admit going out in the dead of night with a lot security to practice it seemed more trouble than it was worth.

Continuing down the hall, he caught sight of Raf in the mess hall, sitting by himself as he was typing away on his computer. "Hey, Raf."

The boy almost jumped, adjusting his glasses. "Hi, Jack." he hadn't hit a growth spurt yet, but his voice was just starting to crack with puberty so Jack figured it wasn't going to be long.

"What are you writing?" Jack asked curiously.

Raf shrugged, looking down at his laptop. "Just a message to Bumblebee. I know we can't speak for long when Ratchet and Ultra Magnus give their reports to Optimus, so I wanted to let 'Bee know how things have been lately."

Jack nodded, though admitted things must have been serious now on Cybertron during the restoration. During those first few weeks after the mess with the other Predacons happened, Arcee, Bulkhead and Bumblebee would occasional be allowed to stop in and visit, and even Wheeljack came around to bug Ratchet and Ultra Magnus in person than on screen. The visits dwindled though when the Autobots picked up the first signs of returning bots, and Jack understood they had to deal with that as well as the neutral town underground, but Jack missed having them around.

"Maybe 'Bee can tell you what's been going on with the other bots that arrived." Last Jack heard, another ship had returned on planet, with smaller pockets of cruisers following.

"I guess so." Raf said, still looking down.

Jack wasn't quite sure what to say then, but tried anyway. "You know, I think Ratchet needs saving from Miko. She wants someone to play _Ninja Gladiators_ against Cinder-I swear she just likes seeing me-um, _anyone_ lose against her."

Raf caught the slip, and he cracked a smile. "I guess I'd better hurry up then." he said, and saved his message before getting up and making his way down the hall Jack came from.

Jack turned his head when he heard the squawking, and followed it to find Blackbeak hissing at several human soldiers. "Hey, what did Grimwing say about not terrorizing the populace?"

Blackbeak huffed. "Not to." he muttered. It had been a surprising development, to find that the small Predacon could speak after making nothing but growls, though this should have been less of a surprise, really. "They called me an animal though!"

"We said you were acting _like_ an animal!" The soldier retorted, but Jack shook his head.

"Enough, all of you. Blackbeak, stop flying off the handle like that, and with all due respect, please don't call us animals in any sense of the word." Jack said, managing to keep his voice calm and controlled.

Blackbeak chuffed, stalking away, while the humans nodded and skulked in the other direction. Jack looked around, making sure neither were going to start something again, before he continued on. He walked down the hall, and paused when he turned around the corner, catching sight in one of the rooms to spy Ultra Magnus inside. He tilted his head, peering in to see what he was doing.

"I believe it is proper to state your presence and purpose, is it not?"

Jack almost jumped this time, flushing in embarrassment. He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling his fins twitch. "Yeah," he said and walked inside, "so, what _are_ you doing?" he stopped when Ultra Magnus shifted, and saw the mech was cleaning his prosthetic servo. "Oh."

"I am also going to reprimand Blackbeak for not controlling his temper." Ultra Magnus said.

Jack glanced down. "You heard that?"

"It was hard not to." Ultra Magnus replied. "Although, you handled the situation well."

Jack couldn't help preening. "Thank you, sir." Miko would have wheedled him for calling the mech that, but Jack had been the only one to adhere to it during their training. "When will our next training session be?"

"The next scheduled report-in is for tomorrow morning. We shall have the session during the the afternoon." Ultra Magnus said decisively.

Jack nodded. "I'll tell Miko then. Have a pleasant day, sir." he said, and exited the room. Walking down the hall once again, Jack couldn't help believe that just to clear his head, talking actually helped. _I'm sure Dr. Keen will be thrilled,_ he thought dryly.

Though, he couldn't deny that it would be an improvement, and regain his step back.


	2. Chapter 2

Jack made his way to the command room, where it was empty aside from Ratchet and Ultra Magnus. Jack looked to the screen, and stayed to the side as the call connected, and Optimus appeared on the other side.

Ratchet plugged a small USB into the drive, sending it over the line. "This is communications from Rafael to Bumblebee. He had to leave for familial obligations."

Optimus nodded. "Very well. Your reports?"

"Every Cybertronian remains in stable condition, Cindersaur and Grimwing are continuing to get along with everyone on base, while Blackbeak has shown himself capable of speech and higher thought process-he is also now under the same rules and regulations as everyone else." Ratchet explained.

"Which Blackbeak continues to break these rules regularly." Ultra Magnus added, and Jack's lip quirked up.

"And how are things on Cybertron?" Ratchet asked. Jack perked up, leaning in. He flushed blue when Optimus glanced at him, but said nothing in protest of his presence.

"Due to the still nascent resources of rebuilding cities, arriving ships are used for quarters. New Spark refuses to accept any arrivals unless they have no allegiance to either faction." Optimus began.

Ratchet seemed to have caught the wording, standing up straighter. "Optimus, are you saying that there are Decepticons there?"

" _Former_ Decepticons." Optimus replied. "They forewent their loyalty to their cause, due to Megatron's demise. We are still keeping a wary optic on them, should their sincerity turn out to be false. We cannot, and will not though, turn away any help in clearing away the debris of the war to build a new future."

"How do you know it's real and not just saving their own skin?" Jack froze, the words spilling out before he could stop himself. He wanted to kick himself, ducking back as Ratchet looked at him sharply, and Ultra Magnus gave him a reprimanding glare.

Optimus gave no reaction to the questioning. "We have already seen what self-preservation in turning factions looks like." He said, and Jack looked down. Everyone had been there to see Knock Out's 'turn to the winning side'. Jack still didn't know if the medic had done it out of survival, or just thinking he could be closer to him.

Knock Out's apology, agonizing and painfully earnest, rang in his audios. Jack also wasn't sure how to feel about that. Dr. Keen hadn't said to forgive him, only to think if he could work through the confliction that apology gave Jack.

"And…where is Knock Out?" Jack asked reluctantly.

"Working off his sentence, when not in his cell." Optimus replied. "He complains loudly about not being allowed to clean his plating."

"How tragic." Ratchet drawled, snorting derisively. "And are his doses still holding up?"

Optimus nodded. "That is the only thing he never complains of."

Jack looked away uncomfortably. He was more than aware of what they were talking about, and grimaced as he remembered the smell he'd scented from the red mech's change. It was so messed up to think Knock Out smelled good, with all the things he pulled, no matter whether he meant his apology.

"Have there been any disputes so far?" Ultra Magnus questioned.

"There have been near skirmishes, with tensions rising. We have managed to keep the arrivals calm, but I can foresee that soon it will break out into fights." Optimus said heavily. "I have them spread out into different sectors, but that is only a temporary solution, I fear."

"If that's the case, we will return to give assistance." Ultra Magnus said.

Jack almost jumped, and Ratchet narrowed his optics at the bot beside him, but vented deeply. "It would be sudden, but, yes, we would need to return to Cybertron at some point to deal with the situation." The medic said.

Jack slunk in closer, looking between the two mechs, and Optimus. "And…who would be included in that?"

"I would not forcibly recall any of you." Optimus said. "We…are not at war, any longer," he said, and Jack thought the Autobot may have found the sentence strange to say, with the millennium of fighting, "and in a time of peace, I will not call for arms. Whether you wish to return, I leave that up to you."

Jack stepped back, venting as he left the room, letting them continue with their reports. The words twisted at something deep inside of him. Was it wrong of him to be curious about going? To finally see what a rebuilt Cybertron could be? Without a war, without fighting? Could he really even think about leaving earth?

Jack vented softly. He knew what he was talking to Dr. Keen with about next, that's for sure.

* * *

The large ship laid on its side, obvious signs of an attack with tears and engines blasted out. A _scratch scratch scratch_ rang through the hull, slashing of metal against the hull but no bot on the ship paid mind to it. They were too busy hailing for help...and trying not to panic. They had crashed on one of the moons, with Cybertron just through the window of the main command room, taunting them with their destination so close. Would hailing the Autobots work? Would they be rescued before...before the hull gave, and let their attackers in?

They're were so many, and the Neutrals had so few weapons.

" _Remain calm, and stay in your quarters. Do not leave, do not panic."_ The captain said through the intercom.

Not a moment later, a loud screech of metal being ripped apart rang out, the wall of the command room, of the ship's hull, cracked open. A pair of glowing purple optics, a slender, spindly form skittered into the ship, long thin appendages carrying the form. Hulking Insecticons charged in after, their horrible screeching no doubt ringing even louder through the dead silent ship.

The captain only had a moment to send the hail, before a white, sticky webbing caught him in the optics, blinding him. He tried to pull at the webbing, but it only gunked up his hands, tying into his wiring and refused to move from his optics.

Though the webbing blinded him, it did nothing though to block out the ensuing screams.


	3. Chapter 3

Dr. Keen was silent, only writing her notes down. Jack had just finished explaining the proposition Optimus had given them, well, to him, Ratchet, and Ultra Magnus, but Jack didn't doubt they'd be telling everyone soon enough.

Finally, the woman looked up at him. "I take it from your tone, you're not exactly happy with this."

Jack stiffened. "What? No, I-I am! My friends have their planet back, and they can go and help fix it. What's not to be happy about that?"

"Jack," Dr. Keen said gently, and the wolf Predacon tensed up, "are you sure you're happy about them leaving? You've spent years getting to know them, and now there's a chance they might be going, and no chance they could return."

Jack frowned. He hadn't been thinking about it, wanted to argue that they had come back to see everyone from time to time – at least they used too. And if everyone left, would they just forget about earth, a blip in their long memories? "It's…not fair to think they'd just leave us and we'd never see them again." He wasn't sure if he was trying to reassure Dr. Keen or himself.

The doctor only nodded, her expression calm. "And what about yourself? Do you think you'd feel guilty, if you went there and decided you liked it?"

Jack's tailed wrapped around himself, and he fists clenched. "What?" he asked, trying not to flinch. "Why would I ever go back there after every that happened?" It rang hollow though, because Jack, despite himself or because of it, _did_ want to see the planet's revival. And not just in the 'make the planet live again', but to actually see life thriving there. _Even if it's not perfect right now, and there might be tension..._ he trailed off, because he couldn't deny the swell of elation he'd felt at seeing not only the light of the Omega Lock bringing the planet back, but the looks on everyone's faces.

He wouldn't trade his life on Earth for anything, but...he wasn't human anymore, and if he stayed, would he be like the Autobots and having to constantly hide in some bunker or on base permanently? And that wasn't even getting into whether the other Predacons wanted to stay, or try living on Cybertron.

"I guess I have more issues than I realized." Jack muttered.

"You've been through...a lot, and there's nothing wrong with having doubts," Dr. Keen said, "but you shouldn't let them overwhelm you. Just take it a little bit at a time."

"Then what do you suggest?" Jack asked.

"Well, to make an informed decision, I would suggest you take in the pros and cons of where you want to stay." Dr. Keen said. Jack looked at her sharply, bristling at what she implied. "Ultimately, this is about you; you shouldn't feel beholden to any one place, out of guilt or responsibility. It's your life, and only you can decide what you want to do with it."

"I could still have a life here?" Jack asked dubiously.

"Well, from the sounds of things, you would have your difficulties adjusting to any place you chose to live." Dr. Keen said honestly. "And of course, there is no current thing saying you can't simply go between world to visit either one. I would though think it practical to decide which you'd be comfortable calling home."

Jack mulled over her words. She wasn't implying one way or the other that he _didn't_ belong on Earth anymore, nor saying that Cybertron would be better. Dr. Keen really was making him think over this. And he had a lot to take in. "Well, I'm not a kid anymore, I guess it's time to leave the nest and try new things."

* * *

For a low simmering tension, things were being cleared away surprisingly fast. The current cityscape was nearly cleared of debris, and construction could soon begin on making the buildings livable. Although, Arcee mused, the fast pace might be _due_ to the fact everyone wanted to get their own apartment and finally stop living in their ships. Optimus had offered to let overcrowded spaces take refuge in the Nemesis, but, well, no one had taken up _that_ proposal and stuck with their cramped ships.

The only other place that was currently livable was New Spark, and bots had to give up their faction altogether if they wanted to stay. Arcee frowned. Chromia had stayed irritatingly out of sight, never leaving the settlement, and certainly never wanting to speak to her after she insulted Arcee. The only ones who even met with them regularly were Moonracer, catching up with Bulkhead and Wheeljack about the goings on, and Predaking, though in his case it was to make Skylynx and Darksteel help with the clearing of debris, along with the rest of the prisoners.

Speaking of which, Arcee rolled her optics as she heard Knock Out shout curses at a Vehicon who stumbled, the edge of a metal sheet scratching the red mech up. More than he already was, anyway.

Knock Out stormed up to her, but he didn't get very far before the energon rope holding him and the other prisoners in one line went taut, so he settled for scowling at her. "I demand to be moved some where else, where what's left of my chassis won't suffer such degrading conditions!" he gestured to himself. His red plating was dulled by layers of dust and grime, scratches scattered throughout his frame and his plates scuffed and dented.

Arcee narrowed her optics at him. "After what you did? You really can't be demanding anything. Ratchet made you that suppressant out of necessity, not kindness."

"I apologized though!" Knock Out snapped. Arcee was unmoved, so his shoulders slumped, expression still indignant. "What about the other Decepticons? Why aren't they here doing this?"

"They switched sides before the war ended, not to save their skin after the fact." Probably. Arcee wouldn't doubt some of them still hadn't tried to hold out until they learned Megatron was deader than Cybertron had been. "You'll serve your sentence, and _maybe_ get off your sentence with good behavior, but that's still a long way to go."

"Haven't I suffered enough?" Arcee glared at him fiercely, but Knock Out wasn't even looking at her. His bravado fell for a moment, something odd crossing his features. He let out a short huff, shaking his head. "Don't answer that, it was stupid to say."

Arcee looked at him suspiciously. The red mech got weirdly self-aware, looking almost guilty at times. Was this just a way to get sympathy? Arcee only glowered finally. "Just get back to work." Knock Out gave her a look, but for once didn't complain as he silently stalked back to the line.

From the corner of her optic, Arcee saw Smokescreen driving up, transforming mid-stride. He smirked as though she should be impressed, but deflated when Arcee only gave him a withering stare. "Okay, so, I'm supposed to swap out with you on guard duty. Optimus said there's been a distress signal picked up from one of the moons, I'm not sure which though, and he wants you and 'Bee to go check it out."

Arcee crossed her arms. "And _you're_ going to be guarding them?" Smokescreen scowled defensively, but Arcee had no time to argue. "Alright, just don't let them get loose, or you'll probably on Predacon watching duty." she said, and transformed before driving off to regroup at the Nemesis.


	4. Chapter 4

Jack looked over at Cinder, Grimwing and Blackbeak. They had varying looks of apprehension on their faces. Jack couldn't blame them, knowing if he didn't already know the news would come as a shock to him about what Ratchet and Ultra Magnus had just explained.

"You mean…we could go back to Cybertron?" Cinder asked slowly, hesitant. It was such a contrast to how she normally acted. Her optics flickered. "Like…permanently? As in we can't come back to earth?"

Ratchet vented deeply, because Ultra Magnus was stone-faced and unlikely to say anything. "It's complicated, right now." The medic said. "Things still need to be cleaned up on Cybertron, but if you want to stay there, that's your choice."

Cinder frowned, looking down at the ground. Blackbeak's optics dimmed, sagging as he laid on Grimwing's shoulder, while the larger Predacon glanced at Jack. "And what are you deciding to do?" he asked.

Jack was taken aback by the question, but tried not to fidget under the face the other Predacons looked at him as well. "My therapist suggested a trial run," he admitted, "to go to Cybertron and see how I fit there, and if I would want to stay or not."

"That is a sound suggestion." Ultra Magnus finally said. "No decision should be made so lightly. Good to see you're thinking things through more."

Jack grimaced, helm fins twitching. _I do a few impulsive things and branded that forever,_ he thought sardonically. "And because I've been thinking about this, I know that my friends and Mom aren't going to take this well."

Cinder perked up, optics lighting in hope. "Couldn't I bring Miko with me? She can use the Apex armor to help clearing stuff up with us."

"Then she'd never want to leave Cybertron." Ratchet muttered.

Jack spoke up quickly, tail swishing. "While I'm sure Miko has grown more mature to not run off and cause trouble," he said neutrally, "I don't think bringing her or anyone else along would be a good thing because we don't know what the opinions of the bots on Cybertron think of organics."

"I guess it depends on if they met any." Blackbeat muttered.

Grimwing glanced at the two Autobots. "And to your knowledge, are there other planets with organic life on them?"

"Of course there are," Ratchet replied brusquely, "the _real_ problem is if those planets contain any hostile inhabitants and what the chances of a skirmish were."

"That could cause a problem." Jack said quietly. It sounded fifty-fifty on what the ultimate decision would be. Cutting off Cybertron from interacting with Earth, or fully form a cooperation between the two planets. "Has Optimus said anything about it before?"

"Nothing so far." Ratchet said. "And if he's thinking it over, he's certainly keeping it to himself." He huffed, crossing his arms.

"Well…" Cinder stumbled, but grinned and clapped her hands together. "At least we can see Predaking and how our other brothers are doing with being good now!"

"That's stretching it." Blackbeak snarked, and Cinder rolled her optics.

"It is good to keep optimistic." Jack said slowly, venting softly. "But there is one other thing." He looked at Ratchet and Ultra Magnus. "Whose going to break it to everyone else about this?"

There was a long silence. Clearly, they realized discussing it amongst themselves was one thing, but how to go about letting the rest of the base (specifically the people they knew) in on this was another.

* * *

Though at the moment Autobots and former Decepticons were working together, it weighed heavily on Optimus if this could be a permanent thing, to finally accept the war was over and cement this tentative peace into a more stable direction. Grudges and old wounds to heal and fade for the sake of a better future. Some had cast off the Autobot mark or Decepticon brand all together in favor of New Spark, along with a recent contingent of neutrals which had arrived not long before the distress signal came in.

Optimus did not begrudge any bot who chose New Spark, as it was more than clear they still wanted to clean up the planet. They just didn't want to be involved in the factions anymore. Though Moonracer showed it didn't mean that complete isolation was favorable, but that could simply be due to her wanting to catch up with Bulkead and Wheeljack, due to their perceived notion of the other being dead for vorns.

His comm. link crackled, and Optimus answered it as the signature sent through was Arcee's. "Arcee, how goes the mission?"

"Well, I'm starting to remember the distance between Cybertron and the moons is longer than I thought." She replied lightly, before her tone shifted into something serious. "'Bee and I should be there in a sol at this rate, have another cruiser on standby if...there are survivors." She added grimly.

"Affirmative." Optimus replied, and the comm. went offline. He debated on who to send if it came back there were bots still alive. Were Ratchet on Cybertron he'd send him as one of the medical team, but he was unavailable. It left seeing if any of the arrivals would volunteer for this.

All cruisers and ships allowed for the Nemesis to code in communications frequencies for broadcasts that allowed for easy transmission. Optimus had only at first thought to use it for reports about keeping everyone informed. He turned on the transmission and waited for the connection to clear and speakers to light so even those still outside ships heard.

"If I may have your attention, this is Optimus Prime." He started. "I am certain you are all working diligently on restoring our home, but I am seeking a number of volunteers for a possible rescue mission. At most five medics and another five to assist with transport. Any willing to aid, arrive within the breem. Optimus out." Those numbers weren't nearly enough, but nothing more could be spared.

Optimus turned off the line before switching to the personal comm with the rest of his team. "Wheeljack, return to the Nemesis. I require a pilot for a possible rescue mission."

 _"Dont tell me 'Bee and Arcee ran into trouble_ again. _First that runaway lizard - those two have the worst luck._ "

Optimus shook his head, but that Predacon was still a viable threat, not only with Shockwave unaccounted for in any labs of his they found. "Merely a precaution. Though if all goes well, this will only be a drill in preparedness."

Wheeljack's tone turned dark, _"When has_ anything _ever been easy for us?"_


End file.
